Little Brother
by TwinEnigma
Summary: AU Fugaku, fed up with a young Sasuke's behavior and unhealthy dependence on Itachi, does what he thinks is best and sends his youngest to the Fire Temple.
1. 0

**Little Brother**

_By TwinEnigma_

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series or characters. I am doing this purely to amuse myself.

**Warnings:** Massively AU, includes the anime-only character Sora and some passive references to that arc._  
_

* * *

Sasuke had always been dependent on his brother as a little boy. There were few other children close to his age in the Uchiha district and, even then, the gap in years far exceeded the five years between the brothers. It was not entirely unexpected then that he came to idolize and rely upon his brother as both friend and a goal to strive towards. But Itachi was a genius, excelling in the Academy, and didn't always have time for his little brother.

It was after a particularly spectacular tantrum on the five-year old's part at Itachi's chunnin promotion party that their father, Fugaku, decided he was going to put a stop to this unhealthy dependence once and for all. There were many other factors at play that prompted the decision, but some were far more clandestine and Fugaku did not feel it necessary to enlighten anyone outside of the Uchiha - the fact that he was troubled by Sasuke's behavior was more than adequate justification.

When told of the decision, Itachi was furious and refused to speak with his father. He would not speak to him again for several weeks out of spite. But it mattered little to Fugaku - after all, Itachi would come to realize the wisdom in the decision eventually and there were many other things to worry about.

Mikoto accepted the decision graciously and hid her concern for Sasuke. She knew it was for the best all around.

Sasuke was inconsolable. He promised he'd never throw a tantrum again, he promised he'd be good and, when that failed to move his father, he cried, demanding to know why they didn't want him any more.

"It's for your own good," Fugaku told him sternly.

And at the end of that week, Fugaku departed for the Fire Temple with his youngest son to enroll him as an initiate. It was harsh indeed, but this sort of behavior could not be indulged and neither he nor his wife could see another way to stop the problem from escalating further, not while both of their sons were still living under the same roof. Then there was the matter of the clan's _plan_ and it was really _much_ better that Sasuke be away, just in case.

With the promise of annual reports (and maybe a visit) from Chiriku, the head monk of the temple, Fugaku left for home. He felt somewhat guilty, but this was all for the best: Sasuke would grow stronger as a person there, instead of languishing in his brother's shadow. And so, Fugaku turned his mind to other matters, content that Sasuke was in good hands.

Very shortly after his father left, Sasuke got in a fistfight with his new roommate, Sora, a cocky boy with a damaged arm and a loud mouth.

The two ended up in the infirmary for a good week and half, nursing their bruised egos. With nothing else to do besides sulk and sleep, they got to talking simply to chase away the boredom – first baiting each other with insults and teasing, then commenting on how boring it was and, finally, talking to each other.

Sasuke told Sora all about how he wanted to be just as strong as his big brother, how his missed home, and how good Mama's soup was (and, oh, how he would do anything for a bowl of it right now instead of that nasty rice porridge).

Sora told Sasuke about how his father used to be one of the great Twelve Guardian shinobi, how much he wanted to honor his memory by mastering his abilities and becoming strong, and how good that soup sounded (because that porridge was horrid and he had no idea how anyone could stand it).

It was the start of the first real friendship either boy had ever had.

Three years later and just a few short days before Sasuke's eighth birthday, Itachi was ordered to exterminate his clan to the very last man. He had not seen his brother in three years and had put his baby brother far from the front of his mind between his rapid advancement through the ranks and the chaos of being a spy. For him, Sasuke currently existed as an abstract concept more than a person, an existence confirmed only by periodic letters from a monk he'd never met and the childish-but-improving scrawl of kanji on paper which reminded him of a little boy he could only partially recall. After all, it was very easy to forget someone you haven't seen in a little over three years. He had not forgotten about the decision that sent his brother away, but in many ways - moreso now than ever - he was actually grateful for it.

Itachi kicked his father's body away and stared at the letter clutched in his mother's hand. Carefully, he pried it out from her fingers and unfolded it.

_Dear Mom and Big Brother..._

He paused, looking back in the direction of the village proper. Maybe he wasn't the only one who'd forgotten about Sasuke.

Itachi examined the letter curiously; he noted the most important things about what his little brother was up to at Fire Temple, such as his burgeoning interest in sealing jutsu and his plans to visit in the next few days. Itachi then speared the paper to the wall with a kunai, raised a blood-smeared finger and wrote out a message for his baby brother.

Almost as an afterthought, he added the words, "Happy Birthday."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sora is a filler character in Shippuden, with the downside that his crazy father sealed residual Kyuubi chakra in his body. It looses whenever Sora is angry or frustrated. He and Sasuke would get on like houses on fire. In this universe, their friendship is what prompts Sasuke to study sealing. I realize Fugaku sounds pretty harsh for sending a five-year old to a monastary for a tantrum, but... the biggest reason for sending Sasuke away revolves around the Coup - Fugaku wants Sasuke out of the line of fire and Sasuke's unruly behavior is the paper-thin justification he needs to get him somewhere neutral.

I originally wrote this a while back as part of the now-gone Variables fic. I've retooled some of it, though, and I may actually continue this if I feel like it. The concept of ninja monk-Sasuke would be... interesting, to say the least.


	2. 1

**Little Brother**

_By TwinEnigma_

**Warnings: **Massively AU, includes the anime-only character Sora and some passive references to that arc._  
_

* * *

1.

For Sasuke Uchiha, this was supposed to be his first time going home in three years. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, where he would arrive just in time for his birthday, and his mother would hug him and his brother would _smile_ and his father would tell him how much he'd grown and _won't you stay, I am proud of you, son_. He'd show them the moves he'd learned, show them that he was one of them now and maybe his father would teach him a jutsu.

He couldn't wait.

And yet...

A part of him didn't want to go. It wanted to stay right there, in the temple. After all, a nasty part of his mind suggested, hadn't his family just left him here those years ago?

"Your father was wise," Chiriku had once told him, "After all, a sapling cannot flourish in the shadow of a tree. Cut off from the sunlight, it starves and dies. You are one such sapling and your brother is the tree that starves you."

He recalled vaguely trying to argue that Itachi wouldn't do anything to hurt him, but Chiriku had just laughed and explained that sometimes people can hurt others by doing nothing or being too protective.

Sasuke sort of understood now.

For the longest time, he'd clung to the hope his brother would come and rescue him, because _Itachi would save him, he always did, and he'd make Father listen._ Sora, his roommate, got sick of him always mentioning Itachi after that first week and punched him for it. Eventually, Sasuke stopped talking about him out loud and he and Sora got along much better, but Itachi was always on his mind. When he dreamed in those first months, his brother was there. When he woke, he was always expecting his brother to come around the corner and say "You can come home now, little brother."

But Itachi never came.

No one did.

And eventually, Sasuke stopped looking for him.

Without Itachi always hounding his thoughts, life at the temple got profoundly better. The monks were more open, the lessons easier, and Sora was friendlier.

...Well, friendlier for _him_, anyway.

Life settled into a very comfortable rhythm after that.

At dawn, Sasuke would wake up and kick Sora out of bed, sometimes with actual kicking and not the customary shove. They'd change into their robes and head into the main temple for meditation. Breakfast was rice porridge (and fruit, if they were lucky) and then they would go with the other initiates to clean the temple and grounds. After that were the group taijutsu lessons and sparring sessions. He and Sora always enjoyed this best, especially when the older students went into weapons practice and they could talk about what weapon they wanted to study when they got older. Sasuke liked swords and Sora liked claws.

Lunch was more rice porridge and then the initiates would all have lessons. Sasuke would fall asleep somewhere between penmanship and the sutras and Sora would nudge him awake, but sometimes he'd be too late and Sasuke would have to stand outside with a bucket of water balanced on his head. He'd gotten better at balancing now and the bucket only got too heavy some of the time. Then there was dinner and you had to be fast with your chopsticks or you wouldn't get any meat dumplings with your rice. Sora wasn't very good at that, but Sasuke was and he'd try his best to nab two – they'd both split his dumpling if he couldn't. After that would be evening meditation in the garden and sometimes they fell asleep, but it was okay mostly because someone would nudge them awake and take them back to their quarters.

And then the whole process would start all over again the next day, until every day was the same: a blur of routine and time that never seemed to pass. Only the seasons and the occasional letter home served to remind him that time actually was not standing still.

That is, until the last letter was delivered and the possibility of going home for his eighth birthday was brought up.

At first, he didn't know what to do. He was so surprised that he hadn't an idea of how to react. Then, as it sunk in, he started to get excited. He was going home again and he'd hug his mother and have her much missed soup. Maybe Itachi would finally let him spar with him and maybe his father would be impressed with the knowledge that he, too, had activated their most precious bloodline (and, he thought proudly, was able to use it to help Sora with his... _episodes_).

But thinking about his family started to get him thinking in turn. Once he got there and all the hugs were exchanged, the soup was eaten, and his progress revealed, what _next_? What could possibly follow? After all, what did you say to the family that suddenly sent you away, far from home, to be raised by others because you were being naughty? How did you face the clan after your shame?

Sasuke did not know.

"Maybe you're still mad at them," Sora suggested. He was picking at his bandages again.

"Stop that," Sasuke said automatically, brushing the other boy's hand away from the injured arm. "How's it supposed to heal if you keep picking it?"

"I'd be mad," Sora said, looking up at the sky. "Sometimes... I think about what I'd do if my dad were still alive. And I can't decide if I want to punch him or not."

Sasuke watched as the other boy drew his legs up towards his chest, hunkering down, injured arm cradled close to his chest.

"It's different for you, though," Sora admitted.

Sasuke squirmed uncomfortably and tried to resettle in the lotus position. It was true – things were different for his friend than they were for him. He still has a family to return to, after all, even if they did _abandon_ him here, he was still the second son of the clan's head and he had an older brother that loved him.

He clenched his hands into fists, suddenly struck with the oddest urge to punch Itachi.

Itachi, who never came to rescue him.

Itachi, who smiled and laughed and carried him on his shoulders, but never had time for him anymore and _lied_ when he said he'd always be there to protect him.

Itachi, the tree whose roots strangled his growth.

Shaking his head, Sasuke tried to clear his mind and began mentally reciting the first thing he'd ever learned here: _On mani peme hun_. He let his brother's shade go into nothingness and, with it, his parents, his clan and his anger, until it was just _him_, empty and free. His hands automatically flowed into position, and next to him, Sora started to relax and do the same.

In the stillness, they were at peace.

Far above them, a messenger hawk glided down on the air currents, unnoticed.

* * *

**AN:** At last, inspiration to continue. I sort of realize I like using Sasuke as a spanner in the works, but I suppose that's just because so much of the plot in canon is predicated on him flipping out or running off or being traumatized.

Anyway, so Sasuke has unresolved issues. Not much changed there. Better control of his anger, an earlier, more established Sharingan and a BFF, though, _that_ is new. I will go more into detail about how Sora's "episodes" led to Sasuke getting Sharingan later on.


End file.
